How Do All ,
Today`s post is on the general history of Courage & Co Ltd and it`s beers in 1858 ;
The Diary of Brewing 1858 @ ACC 2305 / 08 / 274 forms part of the Barclay, Perkins /Courage & associated companies archive ; cared for by the ever helpfull team on Northampton Rd ;
At The London Metropolitan Archives .
The diaries ( 1858 & 67 ) are Lett`s Bills Due & General Diary for those years ,
With the beers entered having Gyle Numbers , Gross Weights of Materials and ,Wort Volume @ Declaration Volume given Viz," 293 Barrels Porter , Gyle 82 : 07 / 01 / 1858 @ 1.054 O / Gravity " .
This commentary C Edd Mather 2024
Courage & Co
The Anchor Brewery
Horsleydown
Southwark
London
 |
Brewery Photo ( 1937 ) Courtesy of the
Brewery History Society webpage on the company |
A Brief History of Courage & Co Ltd
In 1787 an Aberdonian Shipping Agent called John Courage bought the Anchor Brewhouse at ,
Horsleydown in Southwark ; continuing to run and develop the business until his death in 1793 ; After which , the business was carried on by his widow Harriet until her demise in 1797 .
At this time , John Donaldson who happened to be the senior brewery clerk became responsible for running the business on a daily basis , eventually becoming a named partner in 1800 .
After this time the brewery went under the style or calling of : Courage & Donaldson until , the Donaldson family retired from the partnership in 1851 ,
With the burgeoning Horsleydown concern now under the management of John Courage Jr ,
Who later admitted two of his sons into the business before his death in 1861 ,
With Robert and John Courage managing the brewery until their brother Henry and the son of Robert , Robert Michel Courage joining the firm in 1866 and 1883 respectively . By 1887;
The annual production ( Barrelage ) by Courage had reached 300 , 000 Barrels,
Which could have been a deciding factor in the decision to register the company in April 1888,
as a result of a ` Burgeoning ` level of trade .
The Anchor Brewery continued to develop & thrive ; and by 1903 , the company had purchased
The Alton Brewery Co of Turk St , Alton , Hants which was re built by 1904 to designs by that
Pre Eminent brewery architect of the late Victorian Era ; William Bradford .
* (The Alton Brewery Co Ltd`s brewery was established before 1847 when a Henry Hall
Bought it ; With the brewery remaining in the sunstantial control of the Hall family until 1899,
when the Alton Bry Co Ltd took over the premises)
As was the case with breweries accross the mainland of the UK ;
The advent of the Great War in 1914 and it` s concomitant difficulties of trade provided challenges
Of logistics and , Output restrictions at certain gravities of the beers brewed at the Anchor Brewery;
With the company weathering the storm of confict and further developing trade , purchasing their
London neighbours The Camden Brewery Co Ltd and , Farnham United Breweries in 1927 ;
With Noakes & Co of The Black Eagle Brewery , Bermondsey joining the group in 1930 ,
Followed in 1937 by C & N Kidd and Co Ltd of The Steam Brewery , Dartford .
The advent of the Second World War in 1939 provived similar restrictions and onerous trading
Conditions as those imposed 25 years earlier , though in 1943 , teh decision was made to purchase
Hodgson`s Kingston Brewery Co Ltd ( Closed 1965 ) . Ten years after the end of hostilities , the decision was made to merge with their Southwark rivals ,
Barclay, Perkins & Co of ......The Anchor Brewery , Park St , Southwark .
Following the merger , the company purchased Reffell`s Bexley brewery in 1956 , with their
First post merger purchases completed , the comapny name changed to Courage & Barclay in 1957;
With the newly registered firm purchasing the Maidenhead firm of Nicholson & Sons in 1959 ;
Following this in 1960 by buying the old established firm of H & G Simonds of Reading .
The next brewery to be ` snaffled ` was The Bristol Brewery , Georges & Co in 1961 ,
Followed in 1962 by Clinch & Co of The Eagle Brewery , Witney ( Oxon ) and Harman`s Uxbridge
Brewery Ltd , James Hole & Co of Newark in 1962 and , in 1963 by their London neighbours ,
Charles Beasley & Co of Plumstead .
The next firm to join the group was The Star Brewery Co Ltd of Eastbourne in 1965 ,
With Plymouth Breweries Ltd being purchased in 1969 ;
John Smith`s Tadcaster Brewery Co Ltd joined the burgeoning Courage group in through in 1970 ;
With Courage themselves being subject to a takeover by Imperial Tobacco Ltd in 1972 , the company name changing to a somewhat simpler form , that of : Courage Ltd in October of the same year .
By the mid 1970`s the group had rationalised it`s centres of production ; which sadly meant that
The metaphorical ` Writing on The Wall ` was writ large across the fate of Horsleydown as a
Centre of brewing , and by 1981 The Anchor Brewery ceased to brew beer , bringing to an end
Over 190 years of brewing on the site .
BEERS BREWED IN 1858
PORTER
Brewed 139 times @ 48.6 % of Production in 1858
Gyle 78 ( Sat 02 / 01 / 1858 ) to Thu 30 Th Dec 1858
Average Original Gravity @ 1.054.25 - 1.054.5
( based on production & gravity frequency )
KEEPING PORTER
2 Brewings @ 0.75 % of Production in 1858
Gyle 87 : Wednesday 13 Th January 1858 @ 1.057
Gyle 40 : Friday 19 Th November 1858 @ 1.069.5
STOUT
35 Brewings @ 17.2 % of Production in 1858
Gyle 83 : Friday 8 Th January 1858 -
Gyle 73 : Wednesday 29 Th December 1858
Original Original Gravity range @ 1.070 - 1.069
KEEPING STOUT / " K . STOUT "
3 Brewings @ 1.2 % of Production in 1858 ,
Original Gravity range @ 1.072 - 1.070.75
DOUBLE STOUT / " DBLe STOUT "
6 Brewings @ 2.1 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity range @ 1.081 - 1.080.25
DOUBLE BROWN STOUT / " D.B.S "
28 Brewings @ 9.75 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity range @ 1.082.5 - 1.080.25
" ALE X "
49 Brewings @ 17 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity range @ 1.066.5 - 1.065 .
" P ALE X " @ 1 Brewing = 0.325 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity : 1.065.25
" ALE X X "
8 Brewings @ 2.75 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity range @ 1.079.25 - 1.077.5 .
KEEPING ALE XX / " K ALE XX "
10 Brewings @ 3.5 % of Production in 1858
Original Gravity range @ 1.080.5 - 1.078.25
ALE X X X
1 Brewing in 1858 = 0.325 % of Production
Original Gravity : 1.084.5
KEEPING ALE XXX / " K ALE XXX "
3 Brewings in 1858 = 1.22 % of Production
Gyle 86 : Thursday 12 Th January 1858 , Original Gravity @ 1.087
Gyle 95 : Monday 25 Th January 1858 , Original Gravity @ 1.087.5
Gyle 65 : Monday 6 Th December 1858 , Original Gravity @ 1.086.25
I hope you`ve enjoyed today`s post ,
Cheers All ,
Edd
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